Toner, method for manufacturing the toner, and image forming method and apparatus using the toner

Abstract

A toner including toner particles including a binder resin and a release agent, wherein when the toner is molded into a plate upon application of a pressure of 478 kg/cm 2 , the toner plate has a surface having a coefficient of static friction of from 0.20 to 0.40. An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, an image developer to form a toner image on the image bearing member, an image transferer configured to transfer the toner image on a receiving material and a fixer configured to fix the toner image thereon, wherein the apparatus has a waiting time not longer than 15 seconds, and a maximum power consumption not greater than 1.5 KW and 30 W in an image forming state and in a standby state, respectively, wherein the toner is the toner mentioned above.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:  
     
       1. An image forming method comprising: 
       forming a toner image on a receiving material; and  
       passing the receiving material through a nip between two fixing members A and B while applying a pressure to the fixing members A and B to fix the toner image on the receiving material upon application of heat and pressure, wherein the receiving material contacts the fixing member A,  
       and wherein the toner comprises toner particles, said particles comprising a binder resin and a release agent, and when the toner is pressed upon application of a pressure of 478 kg/cm 2  to form a toner plate, the toner plate has a surface having a coefficient of static friction of from 0.20 to 0.40.  
     
     
       2. The image forming method according to  claim 1 , 
       wherein the fixing member A has a thickness of 0.7 mm, and wherein the pressure is not greater than 1.5×10 5  Pa.  
     
     
       3. The image forming method according to  claim 1 , 
       wherein the fixing member A is at least one of a belt or an endless belt and is heated by a fixed heater.  
     
     
       4. A developing device comprising: 
       a developer bearing member having a magnetic field generating means therein and configured to bear a developer comprising a magnetic carrier and a magnetic toner composition while rotating;  
       a first regulation member configured to regulate the amount of the developer supplied to the developer bearing member to form a developer layer on the developer bearing member;  
       a developer containing member configured to contain the developer scraped by the first regulating member; and  
       a toner containing member located adjacent to the developer containing member and configured to supply the magnetic toner composition to the developer bearing member through an opening,  
       wherein the developer containing member comprises:  
       a second regulating member located on an upstream side from the first regulating member relative to the rotating direction of the developer bearing member, and configured to scrape the developer layer when a concentration of the magnetic toner in the developer layer increases and the developer layer thickens, to cover the opening with the scraped developer to stop the supply of the magnetic toner composition from the toner containing member, and  
       wherein the magnetic toner composition comprises toner particles, said particles comprising a magnetic material, a binder resin and a release agent, and when the magnetic toner composition is pressed upon application of a pressure of 478 kg/cm 2  to form a toner plate, the toner plate has a surface having a coefficient of static friction of from 0.20 to 0.40.